AboutMat SmithCorporate and editorial portrait photography in London
Mat Smith is an independent London portrait photographer, based in Chiswick, West London, and in business since 2006. He photographs business leaders, legal and political professionals, academics, authors, artists and musicians: corporate headshots and executive portraits for organisations, editorial portraits for magazines and journals, and personal portraits for people with a story to tell. Every shoot happens on location, across London, the UK and beyond.
TestimonialsComments from clients
The team were falling over themselves to find new adjectives of praise for you both: the process, the pictures, and being made to feel at ease.
George Head, Russell Reynolds, team portraits 2026
Mat puts you totally at ease, and is an expert at directing you so you look as fabulous as possible. I was super-relaxed the whole photo shoot, and have a great selection of photos to show for it.
Cheryl Frances-Hoad, BASCA award-winning composer
They all look fantastic and I also really appreciate the time you took to show some of the edits you were making. It’s really interesting to see all the additional work that you’ve done to improve the images and makes us appreciate them even more.
Rachel, Teach First, marketing images
Thank you for making the impossible possible during our photo shoot on Monday; your professionalism, energy and talent was awe-inspiring!
Stephanie and Gill, school shoot
Just wanted to say a big thank you again for my lovely pics. I’ve just updated my profile pic with one of them and have had nearly 250 likes in 24 hours, and lots of lovely comments. They look great on the website too.
Victoria, opera singer
Mat's photography of our wedding was personal and beautiful. He understood exactly what we wanted to remember and capture; places, people, and emotions. We couldn't have wished for a better photographer and our memories will now always look fabulous. Thanks Mat.
Nat & Ivan
I really like the final versions, which is amazing because I’ve never seen a photo of me that I actually like before! You are clearly a miracle worker.
Jackie, personal portrait
Thank you for turning what I thought was going to be a nightmare into something enjoyable.
Brian, personal portrait
ServicesOn offer
The Two Hour PortraitBusiness & pleasure. LinkedIn, promo, and personals.
The Corporate HeadshotBringing life to your company's headshots. Staff headshots, executive board photos, corporate events, annual reports.
The Music EnsembleMat is a music grad. We love working with musos and artists.
The LifestyleLifestyle portrait sessions take-on a different tone.
The School ProspectusEngaging staff portraits. Fresh marketing visuals. Vibrant lifestyle photography of school events.
The Family PortraitWorking to a single brief: bringing out the best in your family relationships.
The Image EditingEach and every photo you choose is meticulously checked and edited.ClientsWho Mat photographs
Mat loves shooting anyone with a story, and particularly relishes working with business leaders, politicians, artists, musicians and actors. Sitters include Baroness Hale, former President of the Supreme Court; Lord Dyson and a firm of retired judges; and, over the years, a handful of MPs. Mat is fascinated by the political process and enjoys working with politicians of all persuasions.
Professor Lynda Gratton of London Business School was photographed for her new book, Living the 100-Year Life (Bloomsbury); she also hosts the podcast Life Threads. The portfolio above also includes New York Times best-selling author Alwyn Hamilton; magician Maddox Dixon of Maddox Magic, a Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist; Sally Macdonald, Director at the Museum of Science and Industry; food and drinks writer Anthony Gladman; BASCA award-winning composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad and singer-songwriter Ajay Srivastav; Leo Duarte, Artistic Director of Opera Settecento; pianist Yoon Chung; furniture designer David Elia; the team at Silhouette Eyewear in Chiswick; and an editorial shoot under the glass dome of The Gherkin.
For organisationsCorporate headshots and executive portraits
Staff headshots, executive board photos, corporate events and annual reports. Office-based portraits serve two purposes at once: a consistent look and feel across every employee, and the personality of each person in front of the lens. If you already have headshots, we will match their style. After the shoot, colleagues choose their favourites from an online gallery, and those images go on for high-end retouching.
High-end LinkedIn photos are shot in very high definition, well lit, and look just as good in black and white. They work perfectly on LinkedIn, and because they are delivered at full resolution they can also be used later for marketing material, programmes and press.
For people who like reading blurbsPortrait styles
- Studio-quality portraits, without the studio. Shots on a stark black background with a poetic feel. Every image on this site was set up in the client’s home or workplace, even the ones that look like they were made in a studio.
- Natural backdrops. Beautifully lit portraits against ivy, stone and interesting brick. For each scene we aim for perfect symmetry and an eye to a vanishing point, to give you the widest possible choice when proofing.
- Office and workplace portraits. A consistent house style across a whole organisation, with each person still looking like themselves.
- Editorial and publicity portraits. Arresting images for magazines, journals, album covers, programme notes and promotional campaigns.
- Lifestyle portraits. A more relaxed tone: sometimes with an art director, sometimes built around a venue we scout together, sometimes simply drinks and long chats.
The craftEditing is half the work
Image editing is integral to Mat’s process. Every time the shutter is released, he is already considering what can happen later in the editing suite. While always striving for the perfect confluence of backdrop, lighting, pose and expression, Mat has an instinct for seeing past technical obstacles that can be solved later, in pursuit of spotting hidden secrets that can only be conjured in the moment. Each photo you choose is checked and edited by hand, and image editing is also available as a standalone service.
Portrait photography, at least the kind we do for our clients, is 40% art, 40% skill and 20% business management. Is Mat the best portrait photographer in London? That would be quite some claim. A more useful question is whether he runs the best portrait photography business in London, and the answer lies in a relentless focus on delivering an excellent result for every client. That sounds like a marketing line, but it matters most when the deliverable is something as visual and subjective as a portrait.
Behind the scenesA typical week
Three or four individual portrait shoots in London, usually in people’s homes or offices. Most are two-hour sessions, but London being London we rarely fit more than two into a day, and sometimes only one. Between shoots we find a speciality coffee house nearby, relax with a V60, scout new locations and do a little networking, and Mat works into the evening on editing for other clients.
The rest of the week goes on larger commissions, corporate photography and editorial work, or at the editing desk. Two whole days of editing in a week is normal. Yes, days: much of what a client pays for happens behind the scenes. We aim for a five-day week like the rest of the working world, but it very rarely happens (like the rest of the working world?), and weekend shoots are common. Freelancers will know the feeling: you take work when you are already a bit too busy, then even out the load when things are quieter. So our standard lead time for deliverables is two weeks unless agreed otherwise. We can often deliver faster on request, but the rule keeps the business sustainable and the quality consistent.
LocationsWhere we work in London
Chiswick is home, and it is wonderful for portraits: Ravenscourt Park, where the light dances through the trees and can be caught with a reflector; the river, perfect for sunset portraits; the brickwork of the conservation areas; parks, green spaces and fashionable cafes. Barnes has lovely options along the towpath, and we have shot gorgeous family portraits in its riverside homes and green spaces.
Westminster is where much of our legal and political work happens: private commissions and photography for magazines and journals. We also regularly shoot portraits for professionals in Camden, Hampstead, Richmond, Brompton, Fulham, Mayfair (usually for visitors to the country), the City of London and Borough, and often plan shoots at places Mat finds special: the Barbican (not to everyone’s taste, but stunning for urban portraiture) and favourite spots along the River Thames.
Personal portrait sessions are usually kept within the M25, but corporate and editorial commissions take us much further. Clients often ask us to shoot at several UK locations, because hiring one photographer they can rely on, and paying the travel, is easier than managing several contracts. We have edited other photographers’ work and consoled clients whose Leeds photographer never turned up, or whose Oxford photographer turned out to be an amateur posing as a professional.*
Mat was born in London and has lived here most of his life. Combine that with a curiosity about people and a desire to find visual interest in everything, and you have a portrait photographer who knows London.
* For balance: that same client found an excellent portrait photographer in Manchester whose work Mat highly recommends.
QuestionsFrequently asked questions
- Where is Mat Smith Photography based?
- In Chiswick, West London (Chiswick High Road, W4). Mat has been in business as a portrait photographer since 2006 and works across London, the UK and beyond.
- Do you have a studio?
- No, and that is deliberate. Every shoot happens on location: your office, your home or a London backdrop chosen together. Mobile lighting means even the shots on this site that look like studio portraits on black were made in the client's own home or workplace.
- Can you photograph our whole team?
- Yes. Staff headshot days, executive board photos, corporate events and annual reports are a core part of the work. Portraits keep a consistent look across every employee while bringing out each person's personality, and we can match the style of your existing headshots.
- How do colleagues choose their photos?
- After the shoot everyone gets a proofing gallery to pick their favourites, and the chosen images go on for high-end retouching.
- Do you travel outside London?
- Corporate and editorial commissions regularly take us across the UK and abroad, including multi-location assignments where one dependable photographer is easier than several separate contracts. Personal portrait sessions are usually kept within the M25.
- How long is a portrait session?
- Individual portrait sessions are usually two hours, on location. School prospectus commissions run from a day to a week on site; larger corporate and editorial commissions are planned to the brief.
- How soon will we receive the finished photos?
- Our standard lead time for deliverables is two weeks, unless agreed otherwise. A faster turnaround can often be arranged on request.
- Is every photo edited?
- Yes. Each photo you choose is checked and edited by hand; editing is an integral part of every shoot. Image editing and retouching is also available as a standalone service.
- How much does a portrait shoot cost?
- Pricing depends on the type of shoot, so please use the contact form to get the latest pricing for your portrait or headshot commission.
Get in touchFor the latest pricing
Now you know how we work. If you have any questions we would love to hear from you: call 07970 938694, email hello@matsmithphotography.com, or use the contact form for the latest pricing. Thanks for reading! Follow along on Twitter @hazymat, Facebook and the Photolife blog.
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